Collars and their manufacture



Nov. 8, 1966 s. v. 'DAwEs ETAL 3, 3

COLLARS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE Filed July 6, 1964 FIG. 5.

K IIIIIIMIIIII -K FIG .9 F/GJO Attorneys United States Patent 3,283,337 COLLARS AND THEIR MANUFACTURE Stanley Vivian Dawes, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, and William Frank Taylor, Llan-yr-Avon, Cwmbran, England, assiguors to British Nylon Spinners Limited, Pontpool, England Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,309 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 18, 1963,

3 Claims. (Cl. 2143) The invention concerns improvements in or relating to collars and their manufacture.

Collars for shirts, blouses and like articles of clothing are made either in so-called one-piece constructions, in which the collar top and band are cut out in one piece, or in so-called two-piece constructions, in which the collar top and the collar band are cut out separately and joined together after the collar top has been assembled.

Collars, of both types, having no visible stitching in wear, are made at this time; and they are often preferred, from the points-of-view of fashion and neatness, to constructions of collar in which some stitching is visible in wear.

In collars of either type, such so-called stitchless collars have involved in their construction the use of a row of stitchs at each of the two front edges of a collar, in order that the front and back plies of the collar assembly may be joined; Such rows of stitches are hidden, in that they are arranged to lie on the inside of the collar during wear. Nevertheless, the presence of the sum at the vital areas of the front edges leads to a degree of bulkiness at these parts which may not always be acceptable, and it also may lead to a cockling of the edges in wear.

We have now devised a method of manufacturing a two-piece collar which leads to a stitchless collar having front edges which are slimmer and neater in appearance than those known or made heretofore.

According to one feature of the invention, a fabric blank for use in the construction of a collar top of a twopiece collar comprises an integral strip of fabric adapted in shape, on being folded along two lines across its width and on its ends being joined, to form a collar-shaped entity constituting the outer and inner plies of the collar top, the lines of the folds constituting the front edges of said collar top.

According to a further feature of the invention, a method of manufacturing a collar top of a two-piece collar comprises the steps of folding a fabric blank, as defined above, along two lines across its width to bring its ends together and to present the reverse side of the fabric, joining the said ends, as by a row of stitches, to form a seamless outer ply and a seamed inner ply for the collar top, joining the said plies, as by stitching, along one edge in the length direction of the collar top, and turning the thus-joined assembly inside-out to present the correct side of the fabric.

Normally, the other edge in the length direction of the collar top will then be stitched, prior'to the assembly of the collar top and the collar band. Such stitching, although visible inside the neck of the shirt or other garment, will not, of course, be visible in wear.

The invention also consists in a collar top of a twopiece collar having front edges formed by folds in an integral strip of fabric constituting the inner and outer faces of the collar top.

Normally, an interliner will be used if the collar is for a shirt, rather than, say, a blouse; and therefore the process of the invention also includes the step or steps of incorporating an interliner prior to the everting of the collar top, when such interliner is desired. Equally, the stitch- "ice less two-piece collar of the invention may include such interliner.

It will normally be desirable and important that the end portions of the integral strip of fabric comprising the collar top blank shall be slightly less in width than the middle portion of the blank. This is because the joining of the front and back plies along one edge in the length direction of the collar top having taken place, and the assembly having been everted, then, when the other edge of the superimposed plies comes to be stitched, the levelling of the edges of the front and back plies at that edge will ensure that the junction line along the first stitched edge is pulled slightly away from the edge itself so as to be out of sight on the inner face of the collar top.

Preferably, notches are cut in at least the top edge of the fabric blank at the two points of fold. This not only serves to identify the points of fold, but also ensures that the end points of the folded edges will not be bulbous.

One embodiment of the invention, comprising blank, method of manufacturing a collar top, and a collar top will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is an integral fabric blank according to this embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an interlining fabric ply for incorporation in a collar top of this embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fusible interlining strip for bonding with the interlining of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4a and 4b are fusible patches, complete with stiffeners, for fusing to the fusible interlining strip of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is the interliner, comprising the ply of FIG URE 2, the fusible strip of FIGURE 3 and the fusible patches of FIGURES 4a and 4b, after assembly;

FIGURE 6 shows the integral fabric blank of FIG- URE 1 after folding along the two lines to form the front edges of the collar top and after joining of the ends;

FIGURE 7 shows the interliner assembly of FIGURE 5 superimposed on the folded blank of FIGURE 6, after the latter has been turned over laterally;

FIGURE 8 shows the assembly of FIGURE 7 following eversion; and v FIGURES 9 and 10 are diagrammatic cross sections of the folded blank before and after the final stitching operation.

It will be clear from the above general description of the drawings, that the sequence of events in manufacturing a collar top according to the invention is, firstly, to cut out the blank according to the invention, the inter lining fabric ply, the fusible interlining strip and the fusible patches.

The integral fabric blank of FIGURE 1 is, it will be seen, cut out to provide two widened portions A, having relatively sharp peaks B symmetrically disposed on both longitudinal edges of the strip. Between the peaks, the strip narrows gradually to a mid-portion C which is slightly broader than the end-portions D. This relative difference in width is brought about by a slight change in the curve of the top edge of the strip, at each endportion, compared with the shape of the curve in the midportion. Notches E are cut in the top edge of the strip at the peaks.

The interlining fabric ply of FIGURE 2 is preferably made of the same fibre as the fabric blank.

The fusible interlining strip of FIGURE 3 and the patches of FIGURES 4a and 4b are all of light cotton fabric to which a bonding material has been applied. Stiffeners F are already incorporated in the patches.

The interliner assembly of FIGURE 5 is made up by bonding the patches to the strip and the strip to the inter inside out.

I diagrammatically in FIGURES 9 and 10.

l the stitchingH has been completed, and the assembly has by heating, can be performed concurrently.

FIGURE 6 shows howthe end-portions D are joined by stitching at G; and it shows how the top edge C of the lower ply is slightly proud, at the centre, of the top edge of the seamed upper ply.. The bottom edge of the lower ply is even with the bottom edge of the upper ply. The folding of the integral fabric blank along the lines joining the peaks B produces the front edges K of the collar top; and this folding is carried out so that the reverse side of the fabric is outermost at this stage of the manufacturing process.

Before assembly of the interliner with the folded fabric turned, folded blank as shown in FIGURE 7, its inner face being adjacent the reverse fabric side. of the seamless I ply formed by folding the fabric blank, and it is joined 1 to both fabric plies along the lower edge by a single row of stitches H. is very close to the fusible interlining strip near the front 1 edges K of the fabric blank, and that it diverges slightly 1 from the edge of the strip to its spacing at the centre of the assembly where it is roughly equidistant between the edge of the fusible strip and the edge of the interlining j fabric ply. Thesurplus material at the tips of the front edges is trimmed, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG- 1 URE-7.

It will be observed that the row of stitches The assembly of FIGURE 7 is then everted, Le. turned aligning of the top longitudinal edges of plies and interliner for stitching along I will cause the junction line K along the lower longitudinal edge of the everted assembly 1 to slip upwardly behind the back of the assembly and out of sight in wear, leaving the front ply stitchless.

The displacement of the junction line K is illustrated In FIGURE 9 been everted. In FIGURE 10 the edges of the end portions D have been made fiush with the edge of the midportion C, thereby displacing the junction line K, and the stitching J has been completed. In the interest of simplicity the interlining has been omitted from FIGURES 9 and 10.

Owing to the slight difference in width, say A inch, between the front and back fabric plies, the

After the collar top is completed by the row of stitches I, it is then stitched to a conventional collar band in any normal manner.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a stitchless collar having the above-stated advantages ever known stitchless collars, and that it does this in amanner requiring less stitching than known two-piece collar constructions and only little more stitching than known one No extra fabric, compared drafting.

The invention has been proved to be of use in connection with nylon warp-knitted shirts, employing warp-knit nylon fabric for the fabric blank, with all types of interlining plies, whether of cotton or of nylon. tion is not, however, limited to the use of any particular material for the collar top, nor to the use of such collar The inven- (b) folding said fabric blank along said two spacedlines across its width, .to bring its end'into close proximity, and to superimpose one edge of the end portions on one edge of the middle portion while spacing the other edge of the end portions from the other edge of the middle portion,

(c) joining the said ends by a row of stitches,

(d) joining said superimposed edges of the superimposed plies of the thus-joined strip along the length direction of the strip thereby forming a seam,

(e) turning the assembly inside-out,

(f) superimposing said other edge of the end portions on said other edge of the middle portion thereby displacing the junction line formed by said seam in a direction in which it will be out of sight on the inner face of the collar top, and

(g) joining said last-named superimposed edges.

2. A method of manufacturing a collar top of a twopiece collar comprising the steps of (a) cutting out a fabric blank in the form of an elongated strip of fabric having a middle portion and two end portions of slightly lesser width than the middle portion, said blank being shaped such that, on being folded along two .spaced lines across its width and on its ends being joined, a collar-shaped entity is produced with the lines of the folds constituting the front edges of the entity,

(b) folding said fabric blank along said two spaced lines across its width, to bring its end into close proximity, and to superimpose one edge of the end portions on one edge of the middle portion wln'le spacing the other edge of the end portions from the other edge of the middle portion,

(c) joining said ends by a row of stitches,

(d) joining an interliner assembly to the superimposed edges of the superimposed :plies of the thus-joined strip thereby forming a, seam along one edge in the length direction of the strip,

(e) turning the assembly inside-out,

(f) superimposing said other edge of the end portions on said other edge of the middle portion thereby displacing the junction line formed by said scam in a direction in which it will be out of sight on the inner.

said blank in the unfolded state being of elongated shape I having a middle portion and two end portions of slightly lesser width than said middle portion, said blank in the folded state being folded along two spaced lines across its width to bring its ends into close proximity and to form two plies; a first seam joining said ends; a second seam joining one edge of each ply to the superimposed edge of the adjacent ply; the other edge of each ply being levelled with the edge of the adjacent ply andjoined .by a third seam whereby the junction line formed by said second seam is displaced out of sight in' the completed collar top as a result of the lesser width of said end portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,354,205 7/1944 Gleekman 2l32 2,418,716 4/1947 Kennedy 2-l31 FOREIGN PATENTS 567,574 5/ 1958 Belgium.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A COLLAR TOP OF A TWOPIECE COLLAR COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) CUTTING OUT A FABRIC BLANK IN THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED STRIP OF FABRIC HAVING A MIDDLE PORTION AND TWO END PORTIONS OF SLIGHTLY LESSER WIDTH THAN THE MIDDLE PORTION, SAID BLANK BEING SHAPED SUCH THAN, ON BEING FOLDED ALONG TWO SPACED LINES ACROSS ITS WIDTH AND ON ITS ENDS BEING JOINED, A COLLAR-SHAPED ENTITY IS PRODUCED WITH THE LINES OF THE FOLDS CONSTITUTING THE FRONT EDGES OF THE ENTITY, (B) FOLDING SAID FABRIC BLANK ALONG SAID TWO SPACED LINES ACROSS ITS WIDTH, TO BRING ITS END INTO CLOSE PROXIMITY, AND TO SUPERIMPOSE ONE EDGE OF THE END PORTIONS ON ONE EDGE OF THE MIDDLE PORTION WHILE SPACING THE OTHER EDGE OF THE END PORTIONS FROM THE OTHER EDGE OF THE MIDDLE PORTION, (C) JOINING THE SAID ENDS BY A ROW OF STITCHES, (D) JOINING SAID SUPERIMPOSED EDGES OF THE SUPERIMPOSED PLIES OF THE THUS-JOINED STRIP ALONG THE LENGTH DIRECTION OF THE STRIP THEREBY FORMING A SEAM, (E) TURNING THE ASSEMBLY INSIDE-OUT, (F) SUPERIMPOSING SAID OTHER EDGE OF THE PORTIONS ON SAID OTHER EDGE OF THE MIDDLE PORTION THEREBY DISPLACING THE JUNCTION LINE FORMED BY SAID SEAM IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH IT WILL BE OUT OF SIGHT ON THE INNER FACE OF THE COLLAR TOP, AND (G) JOINING SAID LAST-NAMED SUPERIMPOSED EDGES 